1. Field of the Invention
The board field of the invention is that of reduction of energy requirements in the operation of mechanical equipment and, more particularly, pumping equipment. The energy conserving characteristic of the invention is particularly adaptable in the field of deep well pumps which may be either water or oil pumps.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pumps as such are, of course, well known in the art including pumps adapted for pumping water from ordinary wells as well as pumps utilized in deep wells pumping either water or oil or the like. Generally speaking, the energy required in operation of pumping equipment has not been a critical consideration until more recently when the conservation of energy has become of great importance. In pumping equipment as typically known in the prior art, normally, a heavy piston is utilized equipped with sealing rings which may themselves have considerable weight. Normally, a heavy metal sucker rod is provided which is a rod connected between the piston and the actuating equipment at the surface. As may be seen, very substantial amounts of weight are involved and the power and energy required for operation is proportionately great. In fact, the activation of some wells becomes economically prohibitive simply because the energy requirements are such that the cost of the energy makes activation of the well unprofitable.
The relative cost of the energy necessary to operate pumps has many implications from the standpoint of economics and in various fields. In the field of agriculture, the economics, of course, involves capital cost of the land as well as the continuing costs of water and fertilizer. The costs of water may depend largely upon the costs of energy necessary to provide the water. Thus, the feasibility of an agricultural project may hinge on the energy costs necessary to provide water. Accordingly, the capability of obtaining water more cheaply by reason of needing less energy to pump it has compelling significance. The implications of energy necessary to operate pumping facilities have significance in various other fields as well.